5 Top iPad Apps You Can’t Live Without

By David Groom | Yahoo Small Business

5 Top iPad Apps You Can’t Live Without

Tablet computers are taking over the world. According to a report from YouGov, the number of tablets owned in the UK is set to pass the 10 million mark in 2013, with Apple’s iPad accounting for about 67% of the market. It’s easy to see why they’re so popular. They’re light and portable, fun to use… and then there’s the apps.

Nowadays there are a staggering number of easy-to-download applications to simplify or enhance just about every area of your life, from playing games to keeping in touch with friends or catching up with work. With more than 300,000 apps available from Apple’s App Store, iPad users have more choice at their fingertips than owners of any other tablet. Below are 5 of the best.

BBC NewsKeeping up to date with what’s going on in the world is a must for just about everyone. The BBC News app is free to download and makes it easy to catch up with current affairs when it suits you. You can even customise the app to show you the stories you’re most interested in before anything else.

FacebookRecently revamped, the official Facebook app is also free, and makes it easy for you to keep in touch with your friends, upload status updates, photos and more.

Dragon DictationDo you write a lot of documents for work? Do you find yourself struggling to type everything up before you lose your train of thought? If so, this free app might be for you. Using voice recognition technology, it converts your spoken words to text and allows you to copy and paste them into emails or other documents.

NetflixIf you have a subscription to the video-on-demand service Netflix, or are considering getting one, you may be interested in the Netflix app, which enables you to watch your favourite movies and TV shows on your iPad. The app itself is free to download and there is also a free 30-day trial available. It’s also worth noting that Netflix reported that Virgin, BT and O2 were the top UK broadband providers for speed performance during March 2013. So the chances are if you currently have broadband with one of those ISP’s then you will be getting the best streaming speed available when using the Netflix service.

Draw SomethingNo doubt games weren’t the main reason you bought your iPad, but you’ll probably want to download some anyway! Draw Something, is a popular game to play with friends and similar in concept to the board game Pictionary. It costs £1.99 to download, or alternatively there is a free version with ads.